Newsline - June 18, 1999

U.S. Secretary of
Defense William Cohen, his Russian counterpart Igor Sergeev,
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and Russian
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov continued negotiations over
Russia's role in the Kosova peacekeeping force (KFOR) on 18
June. The four failed to finalize an agreement the previous
day, AFP reported. U.S. President Bill Clinton told Reuters
on 18 June that "they've got almost all the issues
resolved.... When I was briefed this morning, it didn't seem
to me that it would take too much longer." Senior Russian
diplomat Boris Mayorskii also predicted that "everything will
be fine. We will find an agreement." The foreign and defense
ministers of NATO are scheduled to meet in Brussels on 18
June to approve the document if it is finalized. Clinton and
his Russian counterpart, Boris Yeltsin, want to sign the
agreement at a G-8 meeting in Cologne on 20 June. FS

...SERGEEV REPORTS AGREEMENT ON COMMAND STRUCTURE,
PRISHTINA AIRPORT

Sergeev told Interfax on 17 June that
he and Cohen "agreed on a command structure for the
peacekeeping operation in [Kosova] with the
participation of a Russian military contingent." He
added that both sides also agreed on the status of the
Prishtina airport, but did not elaborate. Russia is
blocking NATO forces' access to the airport, while
several member states of NATO's Partnership for Peace
program have denied Russian planes an air corridor to
bring reinforcements into Kosova until NATO and Russia
finalize the settlement. Sergeev added that the main
stumbling block in the talks remains Russia's insistence
on controlling its own sector in Kosova and the U.S.
rejection of this on the ground that it could lead to a
partition of Kosova. FS

WILL GERMANY SHARE ITS KOSOVA SECTOR WITH RUSSIA?

An
unnamed German general on 17 June met with Russian
military officials in Moscow to discuss the possibility
of sharing the command over the southern sector of
Kosova, the "Berliner Zeitung" reported. Defense
Minister Rudolf Scharping reportedly proposed that
German and Russian troops jointly control that sector,
while the command would alternate between the two
countries every six months. An unnamed senior U.S.
official told AFP in Helsinki on 18 June that U.S.
diplomats contacted the governments of Britain, France,
Germany, and Italy during the negotiations. He added
that "what is being discussed affects [the assigned
sectors] of the other countries." Observers noted that
it would not be possible for Russia to partition the
German sector from the rest of Kosova, because it has no
border with Serbia. FS

HOW MUCH WILL RUSSIA'S KFOR TROOPS COST?

Federal Security
Service chief Vladimir Putin, who is also Russia's Security
Council secretary, estimated on 16 June that a Russian KFOR
contingent will cost at least $50 million per year, Interfax
reported. "Kommersant-Daily" on 18 June, however, quoted
Yevgenii Savilov, who is commander of the 106th Guards
Airborne Division, as saying that the soldiers would earn
between $800 and $1,500 per month. Observers noted that this
would bring the annual personnel costs of a 7,000-strong
contingent to more than $100 million not including any
other expenses. FS

US, RUSSIA TO CONTINUE ARMS CONTROL COOPERATION

Despite a continuing series of disagreements over policy in
the Balkans, U.S. and Russian officials signed on 17 June an
agreement extending the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat
Reduction Program for another seven years, RFE/RL's
Washington bureau reported. Under the program, the U.S. has
provided about $400 million annually to dismantle nuclear
weapons in the former Soviet Union. The same day, U.S. and
Russian officials signed an agreement on the provision of
U.S. legal assistance in the areas of criminal, civic and
family legislation, ITAR-TASS reported. Justice Minister
Pavel Krasheninnikov described the agreement as a foundation
for cooperation between U.S. and Russian law enforcement
agencies. JAC

DUMA WANTS TO CRACK DOWN ON CAPITAL FLIGHT

The State Duma on 18 June approved on first reading a bill
that would impose stiff penalties on the illegal export of
capital if it were to become law, Interfax reported. The
legislation would amend the criminal code and require the
imposition of sentences of up to 10 years in prison and the
confiscation of assets, according to ITAR-TASS. During
discussion of the legislation on the Duma floor, it was
reported that at least 12,000 Moscow firms are engaged in the
illegal export of capital. However, only the heads of the
companies would be punished under the bill and only if the
capital was not returned to Russia. JAC

GOVERNMENT URGED TO START FROM SCRATCH ON TAX LAW

State Duma
Chairman Gennadii Seleznev on 18 June said that the draft law
imposing a new tax on gasoline stations, which was rejected
overwhelmingly by legislators the previous day, is "dead" and
that a completely new version of the law must be drafted. The
law was part of a package of legislation drafted by the
government in accordance with its agreement with the IMF.
"Komsomolskaya pravda" speculated the same day that since
State Duma deputies' summer vacations are imminent, the
government may be forced to adopt some of the measures in the
package by presidential decree. According to AFP, MFK
Renaissance Bank experts believe that the government may be
forced to ban gasoline price increases by presidential decree
in order to persuade Duma deputies that higher pump prices
would not be inevitable if the tax law were passed (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 17 June 1999). JAC

RUSSIAN MILITARY PLAGUED BY ABUSIVE OFFICERS?

There were 818
reported cases of Russian military commanders assaulting and
battering their subordinates last year, according to data
from the office of the Central Military Prosecutor cited by
"Vremya MN" on 17 June. The number represents twice as many
cases as the previous year and one-fourth of all crimes
committed in the armed forces. According to the daily, there
were 150 cases of assault and battery in the Interior
Ministry forces, which represent one-eighth of Russia's
security forces. The newspaper also reported that four
commanders and one ensign are facing criminal proceedings in
the most recent case of officer abuse in Primorskii Krai,
where 44 soldiers went AWOL and accused their commanders of
keeping them in concentration camp-like conditions. JAC

MOSCOW RESIDENTS INVITED TO CALL IN THEIR COMPLAINTS

Moscow
mayoral candidate Sergei Kirienko, the leader of Novaya Sila
(New Force), announced on 17 June that his party had set up a
confidential telephone hotline for Moscow residents. Novaya
Sila press secretary Andrei Kulikov told Ekho Moskvy that "we
are interested more in the proposals of Muscovites than in
reports of incompetence or corruption or abuses of power by
Moscow administration officials." (Conditions for use of the
hotline are described on the movement's official web site,
www.kirienko.ru.) Nevertheless, newspapers close to Mayor
Yurii Luzhkov, such as "Moskovskii komsomolets" and
"Moskovskaya pravda," were apparently worried that the
hotline might be used for gathering compromising material
about the mayor and refused to run advertisements for the new
telephone line, "Segodnya" reported. The previous day, the
city government reached an agreement with its foreign
creditors on restructuring its payments on one of the city's
outstanding loans. JAC

GOVERNORS SEEKING CHUBAIS'S DISMISSAL?

A Unified Energy
Systems (EES) spokesman on 17 June denied media reports that
EES Chairman Anatolii Chubais was about to be sacked,
Interfax reported. The same day, "Nezavisimaya gazeta"
reported that certain governors, such as Tyumen Oblast
Governor Leonid Roketskii, are demanding that Chubais be
removed so that tighter control can be re-established over
one of EES's companies, Tyumenenergo. In addition, the
governors reportedly believe that EES central staff is
secretly funneling money from the regions to the Pravoe Delo
(Right Cause) movement, of which Chubais is a member.
According to the spokesman, allegations that EES shareholders
will elect Chubais's replacement at a meeting on 25 June are
not true because the chairman is appointed by the company's
board of directors rather than by the shareholders. The
spokesman added that "one cannot imagine an experienced
political figure like Chubais using the resources of his
company in an electoral race." JAC

SELF-GOVERNMENT THREATENED AT LOCAL LEVEL

At the suggestion
of Governor Ivan Shabanov, almost half of the raions in
Voronezh Oblast have amended their charters and voters there
will no longer be able to directly elect raion heads,
according to "EWI's Russian Regional Report" on 17 June.
Instead, local legislatures will select a chief from a slate
of nominees compiled by the governor. In addition, Shabanov
recently announced that it would be better if all mayors of
cities in the oblast were elected the same way. According to
the report, the trend away from direct elections in Voronezh
is being duplicated in other regions, such as Kursk Oblast,
where Governor Aleksandr Rutskoi has proposed that each raion
hold a referendum on whether to abolish or keep local
government. JAC

FOREIGNERS IN RUSSIA TO ENCOUNTER MORE RED TAPE?

The State
Duma passed on its first reading a bill that will increase
the number of documents foreigners living in Russia will need
if it becomes law. According to "Izvestiya" on 18 June,
foreigners who want to work in Russia will have to first
negotiate a contract with an employer, and then apply at a
Russian embassy or consulate for permission to enter Russia
and for a work visa. Foreigners without the proper documents
will be deported. Currently, foreigners can enter the country
and find a job regardless of what kind of visa they have,
according to the daily. The bill is aimed at reducing the
number of foreign criminal groups in the country. The Finance
Ministry estimates that deporting illegal immigrants will
cost the government between 470-570 million rubles ($19-24
million) a year. Former Prime Minister Yevgenii Primakov's
government had argued that implementing the new rules would
be too expensive. JAC

STEPASHIN ASKS HOW MUCH CHECHNYA OWES RUSSIA

At a session of
the Russian government on 17 June, Prime Minister Sergei
Stepashin asked his fuel and energy minister, Viktor
Kaluzhny, to calculate how much money Chechnya owes to
Russia for the deliveries of gas and other energy carriers,
ITAR-TASS reported. Stepashin said that the issue would be
raised at the forthcoming summit between Russian President
Boris Yeltsin and Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov. PG

CHECHEN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR CRACKDOWN ON CRIME

Following the
assassination of a Chechen agricultural official in Grozny on
17 June, President Aslan Maskhadov said on Chechen television
that "My patience is exhausted. I can't tolerate this any
longer. I am launching a large-scale operation to combat
criminals," according to an AP report. But in two separate
incidents on the night of 17-18 June, at least seven Russian
soldiers and Interior Ministry police were killed, Russian
agencies reported. In response to the shooting in Grozny,
Maskhadov restructured his government, appointing Ruslan
Gelayev as chief of the Sharia guard and sacking the head of
the Chechen oil company, ITAR-TASS reported on 17 June. PG

PLANNED ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI SUMMIT CANCELLED

A meeting
between Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani
President Heydar Aliyev scheduled for 22 June in Luxembourg
will not take place, Interfax reported on 17 June.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofiq Zulfugarov said that Prime
Minister Artur Rasizade would represent Azerbaijan because
Aliyevs doctors have told him to remain at home. PG

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY WONT CHALLENGE NEW GOVERNMENT

Parliamentarians in Armenia told RFE/RLs Armenian service on
17 June that opposition groups will not seek a no confidence
vote in Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and his new cabinet.
Under the Armenian Constitution, the president does not need
parliaments backing to appoint a government, but a majority
of the National Assembly can unseat it. PG

INTERNATIONAL APPEALS FOR ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI CEASEFIRE

UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan, the U.S. State Department, and
the Turkish government called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to
restore the ceasefire that was violated again on 16 June,
Turan and other agencies reported. Meanwhile, groups in the
two countries staked out tougher positions. Armenians in
Karabakh on 17 June acknowledged there had been new fighting
but placed the blame on Baku, RFE/RLs Armenian Service
reported. Meanwhile, opposition parties in Azerbaijan
protested against what they said were Armenian violations of
the ceasefire, Bakus Azadlyg newspaper reported. PG

AZERBAIJAN LOOKS TO NATO FOR HELP ON KARABAKH

Azerbaijani
Defense Minister Safar Abiyev on 16 June suggested that NATO
could play a positive role in helping to resolve the Karabakh
dispute, but Vafa Guluzade, President Heydar Aliyevs foreign
policy advisor, suggested on 17 June that Abiyev was ahead of
official Azerbaijani thinking, Turan reported. Guluzade,
however, said that he too thought NATO could play a role in
helping to find a solution. PG

AZERBAIJANI OPPOSITION SETS CONDITIONS FOR MUNICIPAL VOTE

Members of opposition parties will take part in the upcoming
municipal elections if their conditions are met, Mayis
Safarli, the chairman of the Yurddash Party told Turan on 17
June. He said that freedom of assembly must be guaranteed and
that both the government and the opposition must be
represented on the Central Election Committee on a
proportional basis. PG

TURKISH PRESIDENT REJECTS OCALAN CHARGES ON BAKU

President
Suleyman Demirel told Bakus Azadlyg newspaper on 17 June
that he did not believe PKK leader Abdullah Ocalans
insinuations that Azerbaijan had provided backing for the
latters terrorist organization. Naturally it is a lie,
Demirel concluded. PG

GEORGIA INCREASES COOPERATION WITH NATO

NATO has approved a
program of compatibility of a Georgian peacekeeping
battalion, Tbilisi officials told the Prime-News agency on 17
June. Meanwhile, the Party of National Independence-Merab
Kostava Society on the same day called for the introduction
of NATO troops into Abkhazia and the withdrawal of all
Russian forces without delay, Caucasus Press reported. PG

CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES EXPAND COOPERATION

At a meeting in
Bishkek on 17 June, the prime ministers of Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan approved 25
investment projects with a total value of more than $50
million, Interfax reported. The four also agreed to
coordinate the operation of their power grids, but they
postponed a decision on the creation of a single economic
zone until at least the next meeting of the Central Asian
Economic Assembly, scheduled to be held in Dushanbe this
fall. PG

KAZAKHSTAN FACES SERIOUS DESERTIFICATION

Approximately 60
percent of Kazakhstans territory is currently subject to
desertification, a spokesman for the Kazakh National
Ecological Center told Interfax-Kazakhstan on 17 June.
Meanwhile, according to the same source, Astana announced
plans to privatize some 28.1 million hectares of farmland. PG

GAS DELIVERIES RESUMED IN NORTHERN KYRGYZSTAN

Kyrgyzgas
announced on 17 June that gas was once again flowing into the
northern portion of the country, RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service
reported. The gas, which comes from Uzbekistan but flows
across Kazakhstan, was shut off on 14 June because Bishkek
owes the Uzbek gas company some $3.2 million for transit. PG

TAJIK GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION MEET

Tajik President Imomali
Rakhmonov and opposition leader Said Abdullov Nuri agreed on
17 June to resume talks within the framework of the National
Reconciliation Commission, Reuters reported. The talks began
on 18 June, ITAR-TASS reported. The United Tajik Opposition
had walked out of the talks in May after the government
rejected its proposals for power sharing. Meanwhile, the UN
announced on 17 June that its special representative in
Tajikistan, Jan Kubis, is resigning in order to become
secretary general of the OSCE, AP reported. PG

LUKASHENKA TO MAKE WEST BUY BELARUSIAN PRODUCTS

During his
visit to the "Khimvalakno" plant of chemical fibers in
Mahileu on 17 June, Belarusian President Alyaksandr
Lukashenka stressed that his country's main problem is
finding ways to sell its products abroad. "The main thing is
to sell, because we have a fight going on today," Belarusian
Television quoted him as saying. He noted that Russia had
opened its borders and could now buy its fibers from
countries other than Belarus. Lukashenka added that Belarus
can make the West buy Belarusian products. "If they do not
buy our goods, we will keep them out [of Belarus]," he said.
At the same time, he pledged to "sort out things" with
Poland, Germany, and Turkey, and to "react adequately" to the
anti-dumping taxes imposed by these countries on Belarusian
goods, including chemical fibers. JM

UKRAINIAN, HUNGARIAN DEFENSE MINISTERS DISCUSS KOSOVA

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk and his Hungarian
counterpart, Janos Szabo, discussed the Kosova crisis in Kyiv
on 17 June, MTI reported. Szabo and Kuzmuk agreed that Russia
has played a major role in securing the Kosova peace
agreement. They stressed, however, that the process of
stabilization and democratization of Kosova and the rest of
Yugoslavia will take a long time. The ministers agreed that
Ukrainian and Hungarian military experts will continue talks
on setting up a joint battalion. In other news, British
Defense Secretary George Robertson said in Kyiv the next day
that NATO will welcome Ukrainian troops as part of the Kosova
peacekeeping force. JM

UKRAINE TO SELL 50 PERCENT OF SHARES IN LVIV BUS PLANT

The
State Property Fund on 17 June announced a tender for the
purchase of a 50 percent stake in the Lviv Bus Plant (LAZ),
the country's monopoly bus-manufacturer. According to
Interfax, the sale is one of the World Bank's conditions for
granting Ukraine a $100 million loan to develop its
enterprises. The fund set the starting price at 11.54 million
hryvni ($2.92 million). In addition, prospective investors
must promise to provide LAZ with $5.3 million in cash within
a year and to invest $15 million within four years. JM

ESTONIAN PM IN AUSTRIA

Prime Minister Mart Laar on 17 June
met in Vienna with Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima and
Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schussel to discuss bilateral
relations and EU enlargement. Laar stressed Estonia's desire
to see Latvia and Lithuania included in EU accession
negotiations, but he also expressed concerns over Latvia's
import duties on pork, according to BNS. MH

LATVIAN PARLIAMENT ELECTS VIKE-FREIBERGA AS NEW PRESIDENT...

The Latvian Parliament elected Vaira Vike-Freiberga as
Latvia's new president on 17 June. Vike-Freiberga received 53
votes in support of her candidacy from For Fatherland and
Freedom, a member of the governing coalition, as well as from
the Social Democratic Workers' Party and People's Party.
Foreign Minister Valdis Birkavs of Latvia's Way gained 20
votes, while Economic Minister Ingrida Udre of the New Party
won nine votes. Vike-Freiberga was able to run for president
after she received confirmation on 16 June that she no longer
possesses Canadian citizenship. The multi-lingual Vike-
Freiberga is a linguist and psychologist. Since 1998, she has
headed the Latvian Institute. MH

...AFTER FIRST ATTEMPT FAILS

The parliament failed in its
initial attempt to elect a new president on 17 June. The
first bid was canceled after five rounds of voting. In the
fifth round of voting, composer Raimonds Pauls of the New
Party defeated People's Party parliamentarian Vaira Paegle by
a vote of 33-24. However, a minimum of 51 votes are required
to secure victory. Pauls then withdrew his candidacy after it
became clear that he would not receive 51 votes even if he
ran as the only candidate. Latvia's Way candidate and
Transport Minister Anatolijs Gorbunovs was eliminated in the
fourth round. In the later rounds, several parties announced
that they would not cast votes for the remaining slate of
candidates. MH

LATVIAN SHIPPING COMPANY PRIVATIZATION FAILS?

The Latvian Privatization Agency announced on 17 June that
the two bids for the Latvian Shipping Company were
"inadequate," according to BNS. Two companies Tufton
Oceanic Investments Limited and Eastwind Maritime S.A.
presented bids for the shipping company before the 15 June
deadline. The board of the privatization agency declared both
bids null and void because they had failed to provide
sufficient documentation. The issue now goes back to the
government. Several months ago, Finance Minister Ivars
Godmanis stressed the importance of the shipping company's
privatization for the 1999 state budget. MH

POPE WINDS UP 13-DAY TRIP TO POLAND

Pope John Paul II
concluded his visit to Poland on 17 June with a mass at Wawel
Castle in Krakow, a visit to Jasna Gora sanctuary in
Czestochowa, and an unexpected visit to Gliwice where he was
greeted by some 500,000 people. The visit to Gliwice was
originally scheduled for 15 June but did not take place
because of the pontiff's flu. "[Your visit] was a great gift,
an exceptional historic event which concerned all of us,
regardless of faith, political views or nationality," Polish
President Aleksander Kwasniewski told the pope at the good-
bye ceremony. "I have another home. You sent me there. I'm
going back to the Vatican," the pope told a crowd chanting
"Stay with us!" at the Krakow airport. JM

CZECH SENATE APPROVES CHAMBER DECISION ON KFOR FORCE

In a
49-3 vote, the Senate on 17 June approved the Chamber of
Deputies' decision of earlier this week to send up to 800
peacekeeping troops to Kosova. Seven out of the 14 Senators
from the ruling Czech Social Democratic Party who were
present abstained from the vote. Also on 17 June, UN Human
Rights Commissioner for Yugoslavia Jiri Dienstbier said that
the same criteria must be applied to all Balkan countries,
including Serbia, for a "comprehensive approach to a Balkan
renewal." Dienstbier said it would be "wrong" not to extend
help to Serbia simply because Slobodan Milosevic is in power.
In an interview with the daily "Pravo" on the same day,
Dienstbier said the Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) should be
"immediately disarmed," adding that any toleration of an
armed UCK presence "would amount to the utmost political
failure and the complete discrediting of the West". MS

CZECH TOWN COUNCIL BACKS FENCING OFF ROMA

The Usti nad Labem
city council on 17 June approved a resolution stating that
the decision of one of the town's districts to build a fence
partitioning Roma off from other local residents was not an
infringement of Czech law, CTK reported. Local residents
argue that the ceramic fence is aimed at protecting them from
the noise and rubbish created by the Roma. The city council
meeting was called at the request of the government, which
opposes the construction of the fence. Of the 25 city
councilors, only one Social Democrat and one Communist
opposed the decision. The government's human rights
commissioner, Petr Uhl, described the city council decision
as illegal, adding that the Chamber of Deputies will now have
to decide on the issue. MS

SLOVAK FOREIGN MINISTER CALLS FOR 'CONSISTENT DISARMING' OF
UCK

Eduard Kukan, who is also UN special envoy for Kosova,
on 17 June called for a "more consistent disarming" of the
Kosova Liberation Army (UCK). Kukan said that there are
"differences" of opinion between the UN and NATO. He said the
UN is opposed to allowing UCK members to keep light personal
arms and wear uniforms, CTK reported. Meanwhile, Prime
Minister Mikulas Dzurinda refused to confirm or dismiss media
reports that Bratislava has not permitted Russian planes to
fly over Slovakia on their way to Kosova. "The cabinet has
discussed the issue at a closed session and that is why I
will not comment on it," he said. MS

SLOVAKIA TO ENLARGE KFOR CONTINGENT?

NATO Secretary General
Javier Solana on 17 June said that Slovakia would show it
"shares the same values" as other NATO members if it decides
to expand its KFOR units. He said that "adherence to joint
values and objectives will undoubtedly create conditions for
Slovakia to become part of this organization," CTK reported.
Earlier on 17 June, Justice Minister Jan Carnogursky called
for a larger Slovak contribution to KFOR. Prime Minister
Mikulas Dzurinda said the government has not decided on the
issue yet. MS

SLOVAK NATIONALIST PARTY TORN BY CONFLICT

Slovak National
Party (SNS) leader Jan Slota on 17 June called former
Education Minister Eva Slavkovska "an obsolete Bolshevik" who
"spreads rumors and misinformation in the SNS," CTK reported.
Slota was reacting to Slavkovska's criticism of his behavior
in a Bratislava pub, where, according to a report in the
tabloid "Novy cas," he was drunk during President Rudolf
Schuster's inauguration ceremony. Slota said in reaction to
the report that he could not be expected "to drink soda
water" in a pub. He also called SNS deputy chairwoman Anna
Malikova "an unsatisfied spinster" who has "failed to get
married and give birth to a Slovak boy... [and now] seeks
compensation in politics". Malikova had earlier criticized
Slota's behavior. MS

SERBIAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN MEETS HUNGARIAN TOP OFFICIALS

Hungarian Foreign Ministry state secretary Zsolt Nemeth on 17
June told visiting Yugoslav opposition politician Zoran
Djindjic that President Slobodan Milosevic "must go in order
for Serbia to have democracy." He said the Hungarian
government supports Serbia's rapprochement with Europe, but
he added that this is conditional on restoring democracy,
including freedom of the press, human and minority rights,
and autonomy for Vojvodina's Hungarians. Djindjic said the
opposition in Belgrade is urging the population to engage in
civil disobedience, as "Milosevic can only be forced to leave
through massive street demonstrations." MSZ

HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER PROMISES ACTION PLAN FOR ROMA

"A
concrete action plan will be drafted every year to implement
a medium-term package of measures aimed at improving the
situation of Roma," Viktor Orban said on 17 June, after
meeting with Florian Farkas, chairman of the National Gypsy
Authority. The first plan will be drafted at the end of the
year by Donchev Toso, chairman of the Office for National and
Ethnic Minorities, in cooperation with the Gypsy Authority.
Farkas said the meeting proved that "the government does not
want a Hungary without Roma." MSZ

MILITARY PERSONNEL CHANGES EXPECTED IN HUNGARY

Defense
Minister Janos Szabo will initiate the dismissal of armed
forces chief of staff Ferenc Vegh and one of his deputies,
Nandor Hollosi, before September, "Magyar Hirlap" reported on
18 June. A government official speaking on condition of
anonymity said that "the general staff must merge into the
ministry and not the other way around," adding that "we shall
run over anyone who opposes the government's plans." Szabo
has reportedly put off major personnel changes until the fall
because of the Kosova crisis. MSZ

SERBS SET TO MEET WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE

Serbian forces appear
to be on course to meet the deadline of midnight on 18 June
for their withdrawal from central Kosova, Reuters reported
from Prishtina. A KFOR spokesman said that at least 26,000
out of a total of 40,000 Serbian forces throughout Kosova are
now gone as part of a retreat slated to end at midnight on 20
June. NATO forces now numbering 15,000 continue to
advance northward amid warm receptions from local ethnic
Albanians, Sky News television added. A brief standoff
between British peacekeepers and Serbian forces in Podujeva
ended when the Serbs withdrew. The previous day witnessed
long traffic jams on several roads in Kosova as thousands of
refugees returned while Serbian civilians fled. One group of
Serbs left under the protection of Greek troops, who were the
only KFOR peacekeepers whom the Serbs said they trusted,
RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. Some Kosovars said
they saw Serbs driving stolen Kosovar vehicles, AP reported.
PM

UNARMED UCK SOLDIERS HELP KFOR REGISTER REFUGEES

Unarmed Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) guerrillas in
civilian dress helped German KFOR soldiers to register
refugees at the Morina border crossing on 17 June,
Reuters reported. A German official said that the
guerrillas help KFOR identify other guerrillas and also
known criminals. The German troops did not allow non-UCK
refugees to return to Kosova carrying weapons but
permitted guerrillas to keep their arms if they had UCK
identification. About 13,000 refugees crossed into
Kosova on 17 June, according to UNHCR officials in
Geneva. In Kukes, a gang of 20 armed Albanian villagers
injured an Albanian guard during two attempts to loot a
refugee camp, a spokeswoman for Medecins sans Frontieres
(MSF) told AFP. Albanian police arrested 16 assailants.
FS

WERE 10,000 KOSOVARS MASSACRED?

NATO peacekeepers have
learned of or discovered some 90 alleged mass grave sites
since KFOR entered Kosova last weekend, the "International
Herald Tribune" reported on 18 June. Additional evidence of
Serbian atrocities is coming to light on a daily basis (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 17 June 1999). A British spokesman said
that Serbian forces killed some 10,000 Kosovars with a
savagery that "beggared belief" since March. British
investigators at the recently discovered Serbian police
torture center in Prishtina said they are hopeful that the
documents found there will enable the Hague-based war crimes
tribunal to link top officials in Belgrade to the systematic
carrying out of atrocities in Kosova, the BBC reported. PM

CHIRAC: ONLY DEMOCRACY WILL BRING BALKAN PEACE

French
President Jacques Chirac said at a meeting with his U.S.
counterpart, Bill Clinton, on 17 June in Paris that
"democracy is the precondition for tolerance" and stability
in the Balkans, the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung"
reported. He repeated the warning of many Western leaders
that there will be no reconstruction aid for Serbia so long
as Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic remains in power.
Chirac added, however, that humanitarian aid will be
available for Serbs because the West does not want to punish
innocent victims of Milosevic's policies. Clinton noted that
if Milosevic "remains in Serbia...presumably he is beyond the
reach of the extradition power of the other governments." The
U.S. leader added: "I do not believe that the NATO allies can
invade Belgrade to try to deliver the indictment" against
Milosevic recently issued by the Hague-based war crimes
tribunal. PM

U.S. PROMOTING PLURALISM IN SERBIA

U.S. special envoy Robert
Gelbard and other unnamed officials met last weekend on the
Montenegrin coast with prominent Serbs and Montenegrins
opposed to Milosevic, AP reported on 18 June. Among those
attending were Serbian Democratic Party leader Zoran
Djindjic, former Yugoslav Prime Minister Milan Panic,
Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Novak Kilibarda, economist
Dragoslav Avramovic, former General Vuk Obradovic, and
several others. The U.S. officials stressed that they want to
see greater pluralism in Serbia but added that Milosevic's
eventual ouster is a matter for the Serbs themselves. The
U.S. representatives added that Washington does not support
or finance any one opposition politician or party. The
officials noted that Clinton will show his support for
Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic by meeting with him in
Slovenia this coming week. Kilibarda quoted Gelbard as saying
that Momir Bulatovic, who is Milosevic's leading backer in
Montenegro, will soon be indicted by the war crimes tribunal.
PM

MAJKO, GEORGIEVSKI PLEDGE REGIONAL COOPERATION

Albanian
Prime Minister Pandeli Majko and his Macedonian counterpart
Ljubco Georgievski told journalists in Skopje on 17 June that
they agree on the creation of a "new Balkans," an RFE/RL
South Slavic Service correspondent reported. Majko said that
"where there are Albanians in the Balkans, there is an
interest in cooperation." He added: "We...aim for
cooperation, not only with Macedonia, but also for the
implementation of peace in Kosova and for cooperation with
the [provisional UCK-backed] government of [Kosovar Prime
Minister Hashim] Thaci." Majko stressed that Thaci, who met
with Georgievski the previous day, "shares our opinion" (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 17 June 1999). He concluded that the three
of them "will continue to work with our colleague from
Montenegro, [President] Milo Djukanovic." FS

MAJKO, THACI, MACEDONIAN ALBANIAN LEADERS REJECT "POLICY OF
REVENGE

" Majko and Thaci met with Arben Xhaferi of
Macedonia's Albanian Democratic Party and Abdurrahman Aliti
from the Party of Democratic Prosperity in Tetovo on 17 June,
an RFE/RL South Slavic Service correspondent reported. Majko
said that the meeting "sent the message that the Albanians in
the future will not follow a policy based on revenge." Thaci
disclosed that it was in Tetovo where his UCK began its
illegal activities in the early 1990s. Thaci said that he is
pleased that this meeting could take place there now in a
much changed political climate. FS

EXPLOSION NEAR NATO OFFICES IN SKOPJE

A powerful bomb
destroyed a truck parked near NATO's headquarters in Skopje
in the early hours of 18 June. No other details are
available. A NATO spokesman said that an investigation is
under way. PM

HERZEGOVINIAN BRASS RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLINGS?

British Colonel
Bob Stewart, who commanded UNPROFOR peacekeepers in central
Bosnia in 1993, told the war crimes tribunal in The Hague on
17 June that the leadership of Herzegovinian Croatian forces
(HVO) must have known about the massacres of Muslims that HVO
troops carried out in the Lasva Valley in 1993. Stewart was
testifying at the trial of Croatian Colonel Tihomir Blaskic
for war crimes in conjunction with atrocities committed by
the HVO in the village of Ahmici. Stewart attracted attention
in a BBC broadcast at the time in which he insisted on
entering Ahmici despite an HVO roadblock. Stewart told the
Herzegovinians: "I don't need the permission of the bloody
HVO. I'm the United Nations." PM

DID RADISIC ABUSE HIS OFFICE?

Zivko Radisic, who is the
Serbian member of the Bosnian joint presidency and who until
recently held the rotating chair of that body, authorized his
representative to the Hague-based court to inform the
tribunal that Bosnia has dropped its case against Belgrade
for war crimes, "Oslobodjenje" reported on 18 June. Alija
Izetbegovic, who is the Muslim representative on the
presidency, said that Radisic's move was illegal and
constituted an abuse of his office. Elsewhere, Izetbegovic
said he will resign if the international community's Jacques
Klein can prove "even 10 percent of his charges of corruption
in the Bosnian government," RFE/RL's South Slavic Service
reported. Izetbegovic added that he regards Klein as "pro-
Croatian." PM

MORE REVELATIONS ON SHADY BANKING IN CROATIA

Deputy Prime
Minister and Finance Minister Borislav Skegro told Parliament
on 17 June that 109 individuals illegally transferred some
$150 million abroad recently from four Croatian banks,
RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. PM

TUDJMAN WANTS DIASPORA TO COME HOME

In Johannesburg on 17
June, President Franjo Tudjman appealed to members of South
Africa's Croatian community to settle in Croatia. "Come to
Croatia! It may not be a land of milk and honey, but you'll
do better there than anywhere else," "Vecernji list" quoted
him as saying. Tudjman has often appealed to Croats living
abroad to settle in Croatia as part of his policy of
increasing the size of the population in general and of its
ethnic Croatian component in particular. The Croatian
economy, however, needs the hard-currency remittances of the
Diaspora, which also wields political influence in many
countries on behalf of Zagreb. PM

ROMANIA DECLARES MILOSEVIC, CRONIES 'UNDESIRABLE'

The
government on 17 June approved a decree banning Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic, members of his family, Yugoslav
cabinet members and other unspecified officials close to the
"Milosevic regime" from entering Romania, declaring them
"undesirable," RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. Foreign
Ministry spokeswoman Simona Miculescu said the move was in
line with EU restrictions on Yugoslavia and that "between
Milosevic and the EU, we chose the EU," according to Reuters.
On the same day, the parliament approved President Emil
Constantinescu's request to permit the transit of NATO Polish
and Czech peacekeepers through Romania. The legislature also
decided to dispatch a 205-troop military unit to KFOR and to
extend the mandate of Romania's 200 peacekeepers in Bosnia
until the end of 2000. MS

ROMANIAN TEACHERS END LABOR SANCTIONS

The government on 17
June approved an agreement signed with the teachers' unions
and the unions announced they are ending their strike. One of
the four teachers' unions, which objected to some provisions
in the agreement, announced its members will return to work
on 19 June and will resume the strike if the cabinet fails to
implement the agreement. Also on 17 June, in an interview on
Romanian television, Prime Minister Radu Vasile confirmed
that the agreement with Bell Helicopters Textron for the
privatization of the IAR Ghimbav aircraft company in Brasov
has been scrapped, and that new negotiations are to be
conducted with other investors, "most probably" the German-
French Eurocopter consortium. MS

TURKISH PRESIDENT IN MOLDOVA

Suleyman Demirel and Moldovan
President Petru Lucinschi on 17 June signed an accord on
Turkish technical assistance to Moldova. Demirel praised
Moldova's willingness to grant autonomy to the Gagauz ethnic
minority, which is of Turkish origin, but added that Ankara
wants cultural ties to improve and cooperation to extend to
education. The two presidents visited the Gagauz-Yeri
autonomous region and met with its leaders. They also
inaugurated a water supply facility system built with Turkish
assistance in the region, RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau reported.
Security was tightened for the visit, according to a "Flux"
report. Interior Ministry sources said the extra security
measures were taken due to the large number of Kurds residing
in Moldova. MS

LUCINSCHI EXPLAINS DRIVE FOR PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM

Addressing
a meeting of European justice ministers in Chisinau on 17
June, Lucinschi said he did not want to establish a
presidential system in Moldova "out of personal ambition" but
rather because such a system would be in "the general
interests of society." He said the present parliamentary
system is "inefficient" and enables politicians to "shun
responsibility" for governing the country, RFE/RL's Chisinau
bureau reported. Visiting Council of Europe Deputy Secretary-
General Christian Kruger on 17 June told Lucinschi that the
council is backing Moldova's drive to find an "acceptable
form" of government. He said the 23 May referendum was "the
choice [of Moldovans]" and "nobody may impose their point of
view on you, " Infotag reported. MS

MOLDOVAN GOVERNMENT BACKS TRANSIT OF KOZLODUY SPENT FUEL

Prime Minister Ion Sturza on 17 June said his cabinet is in
favor of allowing Russia to transit spent nuclear fuel from
the Bulgarian Kozloduy nuclear reactor through Moldova,
Infotag reported. He said Moldova will gain $300,000-400,000
from the transit of three to five trainloads of the fuel and
described the parliament's refusal to approve the transit
last year as a "political game." MS

BULGARIA LIFTS OIL EMBARGO AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA...

Bulgaria on
17 June lifted a ban on oil exports to Yugoslavia, BTA
reported. Government spokeswoman Stoyana Georgieva explained
that the ban has been lifted because military operations in
the neighboring country have ceased. MS

...SAYS IT WILL REACT 'FIRMLY' TO YUGOSLAV SENTENCING OF
ETHNIC LEADER

Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantin Dimitrov on
17 June said Bulgaria will be "very firm" in its reaction to
a Yugoslav military court's decision to sentence ethnic
Bulgarian leader Marko Shukarev to eight months in prison for
desertion, AP reported. Shukarev was drafted to a Yugoslav
military unit during the war (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 7,10,
and 16 June). The parliament's Human Rights Commission, in a
note sent to the Council of Europe and the OSCE, said the
"verdict" was "a drastic violation of human and political
rights" and the "Bulgarian public views it as an attempt to
exert pressure on the...Bulgarian national minority in
Yugoslavia." Some 300 protesters on 17 June marched on the
Yugoslav embassy in Sofia, chanting "Autonomy" and "Death to
Slobo" [Slobodan Milosevic]. MS

LUKANOV'S MURDERER ARRESTED IN CZECH REPUBLIC?

Czech police
on 17 June said it had arrested on 4 June a Bulgarian
businessman in connection with the death of a Bulgarian
member of parliament, CTK and AP reported. Angel Vasiliev, a
business entrepreneur, was arrested after Bulgaria submitted
an extradition request. A police spokesman refused to confirm
reports in the Bulgarian media that Vasiliev is suspected of
involvement in the murder of former Prime Minister Andrei
Lukanov, who was killed near his home in Sofia on 2 October
1996. MS

KOSOVARS RUSH BACK TO THE FUTURE

By Fabian Schmidt

International aid agencies have been surprised at how
quickly many Kosova Albanians have packed their things and
headed back to their homes. They started doing so just days
after NATO forces entered the region. However, the aid
agencies have called on the refugees to stay in their camps
for at least a few more weeks so that military experts can
check roads, villages, and houses for mines and booby-traps,
reinstall water and power supplies and make sure that there
is a sufficient supply of food available. They have argued
that the refugees are taking great risks in returning so
early. But many refugees have not been prepared to listen to
such arguments. Some of them have paid a heavy toll for their
impatience: within only half a week, 20 people were injured
and at least two killed by mines.

Still the agencies have had to recognize that they will
not be able to stop the Kosovars from returning even before
the withdrawal of Serbian troops is completed. The fact that
some 20,000 refugees have already returned home, despite the
various dangers, indicates their eagerness to get started
quickly with building a new future after more than a decade
of discrimination in an apartheid-like system. They see
Kosova as their liberated homeland rather than as the scene
of some of the most vicious crimes against humanity committed
since World War II. They are willing to embrace a land marked
by the horrors of ethnic warfare in their search for a new
democratic future.

The example of the thousands of Kosovars who have joined
the Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) has contributed to the
impatience of many of their compatriots to go home. Even
though it was NATO that finally assumed control over Kosova
and ensured the withdrawal of the Yugoslav forces, most of
the UCK fighters view the recent turn of events as "their
victory" as well. These fighters come from all walks of life
in Kosova from villagers to university students, and
including women's brigades. Many of these guerillas joined
the UCK at the height of Serbian repression in 1998 or 1999
and are not likely to stay with the organization much longer.
Essentially, they were "citizens in uniform," and now that
the worst is over, they will probably return to their towns
and villages. Thus the UCK will diminish in size very soon
without any outside pressure. Furthermore, it will also
undergo changes as a result of its scheduled
demilitarization. In the end, the former fighters will be
engaged in the effort to reconstruct their country.

The urge of the Kosovars to go home has generated a
vital momentum that the international community should not
only respect but support. The initiative these refugees show
today could be crucial for the success of Kosova's
reconstruction and development in the long run. The more
initiative the Kosovars take themselves, the more certain it
is that theirs will be a success story. Many of those who
have returned so far are not willing to wait because they are
confident that they can cope with the challenges facing them
at home quickly and efficiently by simply getting started.
They do not want to wait for the permission and support that
may or may not come from international organizations. Many
refugees perceive these bodies which will have to cope with
hundreds of thousands of remaining refugees as largely
anonymous.

In particular, self-reliant villagers from the more
remote parts of Kosova do not trust the bureaucracy of
government or international aid agencies. Many are prepared
to simply drive their tractors home rather than waiting. They
know that it is not too late to plant something that they can
harvest before the winter. Many even prepared their fields
before the beginning of the ethnic cleansing in March and
April, and thus are eager to get home sooner rather than
later to look after whatever remains of their crops.

Similarly, the traders and craftsmen in the cities and
market places will want to reopen their shops and businesses,
another essential factor for rapid economic recovery. To this
end, the international community and the new UN-led civilian
administration should from the beginning focus on ensuring
full freedom of movement, not only for people within Kosova,
but also for goods and services between Kosova on the one
hand and Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, and Albania on the
other.

It is important that individual refugees be enabled to
go back and forth between their homes in Kosova and the
refugee centers. They need freedom of movement in order to
create the preconditions for their families to follow later.
Therefore, reviving and improving regional public transport
primarily with busses and mini-busses is of paramount
importance. Macedonia and Albania should be encouraged to
conclude free-trade agreements with the Kosovar interim
administration. This will serve all parties concerned.
Mobility will thus generate prosperity.

The international community could promote such efforts
from the beginning in order to give Kosova's reconstruction a
head start. It will serve everyone's interest to reduce
customs formalities between the neighboring countries to a
minimum in order to facilitate the quick and easy flow of
goods and services. The UN administration should install a
Western-trained customs administration to help the Kosovars
and their neighbors apply liberal policies.

During a meeting in Skopje on 17 June, Macedonian Prime
Minister Ljubco Georgievski de facto recognized UCK leader
Hashim Thaci as his counterpart from Kosova. Albanian Prime
Minister Pandeli Majko's administration is the only other
government to have done so. These three southwestern Balkan
leaders have begun to show a willingness to develop a joint
vision of future regional cooperation. They will now have to
show that each of their countries can profit from a policy of
cooperation. Kosova needs the two others for its own
reconstruction and the two need Kosova as a partner to ensure
that the still ongoing refugee crisis does not destabilize
them. If it is sincere in wanting to build peace, democracy,
stability, and prosperity in the region, the international
community should encourage these trends.